Photo – Jack Higgins with a TAC 800 metres record in Poland
Jack Higgins, from Tonbridge Athletic Club, finished his Summer track season last week, which included his best performance to date. Travelling to Poland for a World Athletics Continental Tour Meeting in Szczecin, Higgins was racing over 800 metres, where he had reduced the Tonbridge club record to 1.46.58, earlier in the season.
The start list in Poland included the likes of Mariano Garcia, the 2022 European Champion and Dan Rowden, an Olympian and World Championship representative, from Great Britain. At the bell, after 400 metres, Higgins was in seventh place, clocking a fraction inside 52 seconds and was still in that position as they rounded the final bend. However, in a close finish he came through to finish fourth in 1.45.63, behind the winner Jonah Koech, from the USA, who ran 1.44.66. Higgins’ time moves him into the top fifty on the UK all-time list, but still only 16th this year, due to the current strength of domestic 800m running.
Lucy Reid was another Tonbridge runner competing in a top-class event at the weekend, as she placed third behind two athletes who competed at this Summer’s Paris Olympics. The race was won by Eilish McColgan, from Calli Hauger-Thackery, with Reid third in 73.31. The event was a trial for the European Half Marathon Championships next April and Reid can now secure selection if she can run inside the 71.30 standard before then. Her current personal best is inside that mark.
The Tonbridge AC men’s and women’s squads both had extremely close finishes at the Southern Counties Veterans League final, at Horspath, near Oxford, on Saturday. The men were amongst seven clubs competing for the trophy and the women’s competition consisted of six clubs.
The men secured six track victories and five from the field events, with Ian Crawley being the most prolific with Long Jump, Discus and Pole Vault wins. The women had fifteen victories, with seven on the track and eight from the field events. Nina Ridge had an extremely busy day, winning the High Jump, Long Jump, Triple Jump, Shot Put and Hammer Throw.
Once the match points were added up, the men ended in a tie with Basingstoke, each scoring 261 points. The women finished in a frustrating second place, being beaten by Hercules Wimbledon by 268 points to 267.5.
Also competing in veterans’ competition at the weekend, Nichola Evans represented an England over 40s team, at the Mid Cheshire 5k road race, on Friday evening. Evans ran 18.26, to be the first England scorer, in the match against Wales. Evans returned home to help the veterans’ team on Saturday, winning the 1500 metres. On Sunday, Rebecca Morton was first female finisher at the Dover Seafront 10k road race.
Above – The TAC veterans squad at the league final
Above – Lucy Reid after 3rd place in the Big Half Marathon